What was she thinking of?

I can agree with Alan Cochrane's comments over at Three Line Whip that

It is difficult to imagine that Wendy Alexander can last as leader of the Scottish Labour Party after Gordon Brown's devastating denial at Prime Minister's Question Time of her plan for an immediate referendum on the break up of the United Kingdom.

What was she thinking off? It has been known that her views have always been pro referendum but to air them publically over a weekend when the Prime Minister was already being atttacked from all sides may well a step too far.

Over at Comment is Free,Ewan Crawford describes Labour's announcement as the biggest miscalculation in history

the calculation is that the SNP would lose a popular vote on the constitution, putting to bed any debate over independence for a generation and skewering Alex Salmond into the bargain. It's also precisely the opposite of what Alexander has been arguing ever since she assumed the leadership.

Moreover where does it leave her Brother Douglas.A while ago after the debacle of the Autumn election he was being tipped as the first fall guy in Brown's cabinet.Perhaps now his time will come?